Bethlehem supervisor seeks two more years

Bethlehem Supervisor Jack Cunningham said he intends to run for another two-year term and serve the town he's known all of his life.

I love this town being a supervisor has always been an opportunity I wanted. I grew up in this town, Cunningham said. "The community has been very supportive, and I've been really appreciative of that."

Cunningham has yet to be officially endorsed by his Democratic Party, a move expected in the coming weeks by the town party and its chairman Matthew Clyne, but he is actively pursuing other ballot lines in the form of the Independence and Conservative parties.

"We're having candidate interviews, and then we will make a recommendation for the full committee to vote on," said Clyne, who is also Albany County's Democratic Board of Elections commissioner. "We have 60 members in the committee, there's 30 election districts and two committee members per district."

Clyne said an executive committee of 11 party officers and ward leaders conduct the candidate interviews.

The supervisor will be making an official announcement Thursday, March 5, along with his supporters at the Normanside Country Club in Delmar. Being the first to make his intentions public, his announcement will serve as the official kickoff of the 2009 political campaign in the Town of Bethlehem.

"There's a lot of things still to be done here," Cunningham said about running again.

Continuing the infrastructure improvements and getting federal and state stimulus funding for local projects were on the top of his list, as well as pedestrian pathways.

"Everyone knows that sidewalks are my passion in this town," he jested.

Cunningham said automating the town was a previous priority that he plans to continue. Town assessment roles are now online, as well as registration forms with the Department of Parks and Recreation, he said, and paying for fees online has become the norm.